A Sort of Lightness
by YaoiD
Summary: Set in the very beginning of the Naruto anime series. First story published, so please forgive me if there be errors. Where am i supposed to put the disclaimers? Are they even necessary?


**A Sort of Lightness**

Kakashi leaped swiftly through the treetops, eager to get back to the village so he could carefully write out his mission report. Then 'accidentally' drop it in a puddle, before stepping on it due to failure to see it, then crumpling it up in his pockets before tugging it out, ripping it, and handing it to Iruka. It wasn't that Kakashi was a messy person by nature. He just enjoyed seeing the little chuunin ruffled. It amused him to no ends when the teacher got so upset over such a small thing. It was also fun to use apology as an excuse to invite Iruka to supper.

The two of them had slowly developed a polite friendship over the last few years. Despite Kakashi's constant successful attempts at annoying the young teacher, Iruka seemed to tolerate, and even enjoy the copy nin's company from time to time and occasionally agreed to go out for a cup of coffee or supper with the jounin. Kakashi could not figure out why he always felt so elated every time Iruka's scowl faded from his brow, followed by a defeated sigh, and then an eventual "Fine, I'll have supper with you, Hatake-san. Just promise me you'll stop 'accidentally' sitting on your reports…" before a slow, reluctant smile finally spreads across his lips when Kakashi promises whole heartedly, both men knowing that he would never use that particular excuse again, but will not cease to hand in creased and torn reports.

Kakashi sped up his pace, eager to see Iruka's expressive face again after having spent two weeks in stone country unfeelingly killing other emotionless ninjas for his mission. He felt his lips twitch as he thought about what he was going to write (exclude) in his mission report and the reaction Iruka would reward him with. He mused about perhaps asking the teacher to visit the hot springs with him today. They hadn't done that yet.

He slowed down when he heard a familiar laugh nearby and stopped when the voice exclaimed something he couldn't make out.

"Iruka, that's cheating!" huffed a different voice that Kakashi did not recognize as he slowly made his way closer. He frowned lightly. What was Iruka doing all the way out here? Namely, why wasn't he in the mission room waiting for Kakashi so he could scream at him?

The jounin blinked when he suddenly remembered that Iruka didn't work in the mission room on Saturdays, and his frown deepened when he realized that he wouldn't get an opportunity to ask the other man out until he returned from his next mission. He'd make sure that he wouldn't return on a Saturday next time.

He carefully headed closer towards the sound of the chuunin's laughter, no longer in a hurry, seeing as he had nothing else to do for the rest of the day except half heartedly fill out a mission report properly.

He concealed himself in a tree as he looked over in Iruka's direction, and he felt something unfamiliar stir inside him. The man was shirtless and gleaming with sweat as he leaned softly against a tree, chuckling pleasantly at another man a few feet away, panting as he avoided trap after trap, leaping further away before bounding in the opposite direction as he triggered yet another explosion. Kakashi wracked his brain for the identity of the other man, and the name Mizuki blinked up uncertainly.

"You told me to give it my all, Mizu. Don't tell me you can't even defend yourself against a measly academy teacher," Iruka called out teasingly.

"I meant give it your all as we train, Iruka. Not setting up numerous impossible traps to try and kill me," said the other man as he carefully placed both feet on the ground after the chain of explosions eventually ended. He crossed his arms and scowled.

"It wouldn't have _killed_ you, Mizu…you'd just have been lightly scorched…," Iruka grinned playfully before he gracefully pushed himself off from the tree and stepped towards the other man, a mischievous glint in his eyes. His usually neat ponytail was loose around the nape of his neck and strands of silky hair hung loosely around his face. Kakashi couldn't stop staring at this new Iruka, so different from the stern young man that greeted him with weary eyes. He found himself thinking that he wanted to see more of this side of the man. The playful…sexy side.

Kakashi frowned as the thought entered his mind. Odd, he'd never considered the younger man in this way before. He'd always known that the teacher was an attractive man, but never considered himself as one to be attracted to him.

"Ok, serious training now," said Mizuki, shrugging his shoulders and then readying himself for the attack.

Kakashi unwittingly glared at the man. Who was he that he got to bring out this casual side of Iruka that Kakashi did not even know existed. He found himself sneering when Iruka tackled the man with surprising agility and speed and knocked him into a nearby river.

"Stop letting me win, dammit!" Iruka said with a scowl, "How can I improve if you keep going easy on me?"

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. Pull me up," said the other man, reaching out an arm. Iruka raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

"You can't honestly expect me to fall for that one," he said, rooted to the spot.

"I can. And I will. Now come here. You owe me for nearly turning me into barbecue," said the other man. Iruka laughed pleasantly, shaking his head and heading over, offering his hand with a dramatic sigh. He even had the decency to look surprised when the other man really did pull him down.

"You're not supposed to do that when somebody is already expecting you to, Mizu," Iruka laughed as he spluttered up to the surface. His ponytail completely gave out at this point, and his hair was loosely framing his face, droplets of water gliding down his neck and chest has he ran his hands through his hair.

Kakashi licked his dry lips, the unfamiliar feeling in his gut increasing as Mizuki smirked and openly admired the tanned body besides him.

"No, but I wanted to get you wet," he grinned. A small blush graced the teacher's cheeks and he gently shoved the other man before heading towards the river bank. "Hey! You haven't finished rescuing me yet," the other man pouted, grabbing Iruka by the wrist and tugging him back down into the water. Kakashi felt his frown deepen at the rough way that the man pulled on the teacher's arm.

"We're supposed to be training," said Iruka with a sigh, rubbing absent mindedly at his wrist.

"Later," said Mizuki dismissively.

Kakashi felt his eyes widen and an eyebrow twitch in alarm when the other man wrapped his arms around the smaller chuunin and tugged him bodily against him, pressing his lips to Iruka's tanned neck.

"Mmh…not here…Mizuki!" Iruka reprimanded, trying to shrug away, but unable to release the strong hold that the other man had around his waist. He let out a small moan that traveled straight down Kakashi's spine as the other man nibbled on the chuunin's ear.

"How far would you go for someone you loved, Iruka?" said the man in a low voice. Iruka visibly shivered at the sensation.

"I'd do everything in my power for someone I loved," he answered quietly.

"Would you die for them?"

"Of course," said Iruka, slightly breathless as Mizuki mercilessly attacked a sensitive spot on his neck.

"Do you love me?" Mizuki asked. Iruka's cheeks flushed red, but, to Kakashi's delight, he remained silent.

"Mizuki… I…," he eventually tried, but then trailed off. The other man ran his palm up the other's spine, drawing out delicious shudders from the younger chuunin.

"Mmh…Iruka, when are you going to give yourself to me…?" Mizuki muttered into the teacher's ear, causing a bright blush to spread across the younger man's features. Kakashi could almost feel the daggers shoot from his eyes at the other grey haired man. He shifted his position, making sure to make a noise before he leaped off towards the village again, silently fuming at what he saw, satisfied at the last image of Iruka pulling away in alarm at the sound of rustling leaves.

***

"Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked in surprise, opening the door to his apartment to find the other man poised to knock.

Ahh…hello, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi greeted pleasantly, lowering his arm.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?" asked the chuunin, sounding alarmed. Kakashi looked puzzled.

"Eh? Nothing happened…I just came to submit my mission report," he said, a smile in his visible eye. Iruka stared at him blankly.

"This is my home…," Iruka reminded the jounin, frowning lightly, wondering if the silver haired man was perhaps slightly concussed from his mission.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. But you see, I was busy putting things into perspective this afternoon, and lost track of time, so when I got back, the mission room was already closed.

"You can hand it in tomorrow, Kakashi-san…," said Iruka, looking lightly amused, but also a little wary of the eccentric jounin.

"I'll be too busy taking you to lunch tomorrow as an apology for making you work overtime," said Kakashi prophetically. Iruka raised an eyebrow.

"You're an odd one, Kakashi-san…," Iruka sighed. He took the piece of crumpled paper from the jounin and sighed again, "What happened to it this time?" he asked tiredly.

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to get a more dramatic reaction from you, but apparently, you've become too used to this. I'll have to think of something else next time…," said Kakashi looking thoughtful. Iruka glared at him.

"You mean you mess up your reports on purpose?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well, I'm a bit too much of a genius to be incapable of filling out mission reports properly unless it's on purpose, you know," Kakashi said cheerfully. The corners of Iruka's eyebrow twitched and a shadow passed over his face.

"I have enough of my own meaningless problems to deal with, Kakashi… I don't need you adding to them," he said quietly, his fingers tightening around the crumpled mission report in his hands.

Kakashi frowned.

"Iruka-sensei? Are you alright?" he asked, sounding concerned. Iruka usually yelled at him and stomped about looking flushed and adorable. What's with this silent reaction? Kakashi didn't like it at all.

"There's been word that somebody is going to try steal a forbidden scroll. Security's up, and I've been made in charge of paperwork. Everybody's been posted at the gates, ready to defend the village, and I'll be sitting behind a desk," he said irritably, placing Kakashi's mission report on a table before exiting his apartment and locking the door.

"That's not it," said Kakashi, easily following the chuunin as they leaped over the rooftops towards the mission room.

"What do you mean?" asked Iruka with a scowl.

"Something else is upsetting you…," said Kakashi quietly. Iruka glanced at him, a surprised look in his eyes, before he looked away again and sped up.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"You don't even like fighting," said Kakashi, earning himself another furtive glance from the chuunin. "What's bothering you?" he asked again. There was a brief pause as Iruka swiftly leaped from roof to roof.

"Personal matters. It's of no importance," he finally said, landing gracefully in the mission room. There was nobody else there as everybody guarding the gates, waiting for an invasion.

"Of course it's important if it's upsetting you this much, Iruka-sensei," said Kakashi, a reassuring smile in his eye. Iruka looked disbelievingly up at the older man. "I don't know much about the subject, but I'm under the impression that we're friends, and friends hear each other out… or am I confusing that with some other unspoken social rule…I'm not sure," said Kakashi, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Iruka sighed and shook his head.

"I had to fail one of my most talented students today because he had the bad luck of being tested on his worst jutsu in the final exam. He doesn't get very good marks in theory classes, so the practical exams were important… Also, I broke up with my…significant other today. It's stupid, I told you," he said, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a wad of paperwork.

"You broke up with Mizuki? Why?" Kakashi asked, casually leaning against the desk. Iruka's eyes widened in surprise.

"Have you been stalking me, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka asked disbelievingly. Kakashi shrugged.

"I'm a ninja. It's what I do," he said dismissively, "you haven't answered my question."

Iruka frowned lightly. "He wanted more than I was willing to give," said Iruka shortly, swiftly filling out the stacks of papers and filing them away.

"Wouldn't put out, huh," said Kakashi causally. Iruka spluttered indignantly before he glared up at Kakashi.

"Kakashi, some things aren't meant to be discussed, even around friends," said Iruka angrily. Kakashi smiled pleasantly.

"So we're definitely friends then?" he said happily. Iruka felt his anger simmering down as Kakashi smiled innocently down at him. He sighed.

"Yes, of course we're friends, Kakashi," said Iruka, "You should probably be guarding the gates right now, not hanging around with the paperwork," he added.

"See you at Ichiraku's tomorrow for lunch then," he grinned. Iruka sighed and waved the other man away dismissively.

***

"Naruto! What are you doing??" Iruka asked in alarm as he spotted the young boy crouched over the stolen scrolls. Everybody was frantically searching for an intruder, and here's his favorite student leaning over it studiously.

"Iruka-sensei! I was told that if I can steal this scroll, you'll pass me," said Naruto proudly. He beamed up at Iruka, his wide eyes completely innocent from any malicious intent.

"Who told you that?" Iruka asked, alarmed.

"I did," came a familiar voice. Iruka spun around at the voice and he felt his eyes widen.

"Mizuki…," he whispered, dread settling in his gut.

"Hand over the scroll, Naruto," said the man with a sneer on his lips as he stared at Iruka's pained expression.

"Don't do it! That's a forbidden scroll! This man lied to you," he told the boy, who's eyes widened at this information.

"Don't interfere, Iruka. After all, I was going to ask you to do this for me, but you just couldn't trust me, could you? So I decided to ask your student instead, because I knew it would hurt you the most," the man sneered, "It's your own fault he agreed to help me. If only you hadn't failed him. Just because he's a vessel for the demon who killed your parents too…tsk, tsk, Iruka," Mizuki taunted.

"Don't listen to him, Naruto!" Iruka said, hurt by the shocked look on Naruto's face, "I failed you because I knew you could improve. I don't hold anything against you!"

"Lies!" Mizuki hissed, suddenly charging towards the two, "You said you'd do anything for somebody that you loved, but that's just a lie, isn't it, Iruka?" he said, anger burning deep in his eyes.

"Mizuki…!"

***

Kakashi easily brushed past the nurses trying to stop him as if they were flimsy bits of tissue as he headed determinedly towards the room.

"Hatake-san! Only family are allowed to visit!" called a harassed looking nurse as she hurried after the jounin.

"And exactly whose family may you be speaking of, Nurse-san?" Kakashi asked patiently. The nurse stopped in her tracks and stared at the jounin's back as it continued unheedingly towards the room. She sighed and turned away. He had a point.

"K-Kakashi-san…," Iruka greeted, looking slightly puzzled at the man's presence. He tried to sit up, but a white hot pain shot up his spine.

"Don't move, stupid," said Kakashi impatiently. He walked closer and scowled at the younger man in the bed.

"What…what is it?" Iruka asked self-consciously as the older man glared down at him.

"You nearly died," said Kakashi accusingly.

"I…yes?" Iruka said, not knowing to respond to that kind of accusation.

"You were supposed to meet me at Ichiraku's today for lunch," said Kakashi irritably. Iruka's lips parted wordlessly as he stared in befuddlement at the silver-haired man looming over him.

"I'm sorry?" he said.

"You'd better be," said Kakashi with a nod.

Iruka shook his head at the odd jounin glaring indignantly down at him, "I wasn't expecting to be almost murdered by an ex-lover," he mumbled.

Kakashi felt his chest tighten at the sad expression in Iruka's usually stubborn and fiery eyes.

"Iruka," he said, slowly pulling down his mask.

"Yes?" Iruka asked nervously.

"Since you are stuck in bed…," Kakashi said, slowly leaning over.

"Y-yeah?" Iruka muttered, starting to blush at Kakashi's closeness, and the fact that he'd so easily revealed his face to someone like Iruka, who was practically a stranger.

"I brought the ramen to you," he grinned cheerfully, before he sat down and pulled out the containers, "I wasn't sure if you preferred pork or seafood so I got both and I'll have the one you don't want."

A reluctant smile appeared on Iruka's lips as the delightful smell drifted up to him.

"Thank you…Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled at the lack of formality as he tucked into the container of steaming noodles.

***

Iruka stared at the neat and precise mission report being held under his nose. Then he looked up at the jounin in disbelief before staring back down at the report.

"Still no good?" Kakashi asked, frowning in concern.

"How…?"

"I'm lazy, not incapable," Kakashi shrugged. Iruka accepted the mission report carefully, as if it were made of gold and crystal. Considering the rarity of a neat mission report from this particular jounin, it might as well have been.

"Why?" Iruka asked, looking dazed.

"Thought you could use a break," Kakashi grinned sweetly. Iruka's eyes immediately filled with suspicion.

"What do you want, Hatake?" he asked cautiously.

"I can't tell you," said Kakashi cheerfully. Iruka glared at the older man before he sighed in defeat at the unwavering little curve in the jounin's eye. He looked back down at the mission report in his hands. It was the last one for the day.

He frowned, before he started subtly inspecting the parchment and the text for any hidden explosive tags or gag jutsus. He found none, and he stared at the neat handwriting, looking completely baffled, a look that Kakashi found incredibly adorable.

"It isn't rigged, I swear," Kakashi chuckled pleasantly, sending a light blush across Iruka's nose at being caught, "I honestly just thought you could do with a break," he said sincerely.

Iruka stared blankly at the text for a few seconds before he realized that this was Kakashi's odd way of showing his sympathy for Iruka's previous encounter with…that man.

"Thank you, Kakashi," Iruka said softly.

"Will you have dinner with me?" Kakashi asked casually, leaning against the table as the rest of the room started emptying.

"Sure. I could do with some food," Iruka sighed, "Just gimme a sec," he said as he quickly read through the mission report, filled in the relevant paperwork, and filed everything away before grabbing his vest and following Kakashi out the window.

"My treat," said Kakashi as the two men leapt easily over rooftops.

"You don't have to be so nice to me, Kakashi," Iruka said softly. Kakashi shrugged.

"I want you to like me."

Iruka felt his face heat up lightly.

"Why?" Iruka asked, honestly curious. What could a jounin have to gain by being friends with him? More leeway with mission reports? That certainly won't happen.

"Why not?" Kakashi asked playfully, a grin on his lips as the two entered the small familiar restaurant.

"Well…I'm just a chuunin teacher…what use could you possibly have for a shinobi that hasn't been on a mission in over five years?" Iruka asked, sounding puzzled.

"What use?" Kakashi repeated disbelievingly, "What on earth do you mean…?"

"I…well…Miz…he wanted to get close to me because he knew I was close to the sealed documents on a daily basis and would be least suspected by the authorities if I tried to—"

"Mizuki was a maniac, Iruka," Kakashi said savagely, surprising the smaller man enough to cause him to stare straight into Kakashi's eyes without even a trace of a blush.

"B-but—"

"I want you to like me because I like you. That's all there is to it."

"Kakashi…I—"

"You, of all people, should understand the true reason behind why a person would want to be close to another. It's not how useful they are, or how much they have. It's because they…," Kakashi trailed off awkwardly, lost for words.

"It's a sort of lightness…," Iruka said softly.

"What?"

"It's a sort of lightness that you feel deep inside when you're around somebody you love. Like they take the weights of reality off your soul without you even asking, and they lift you up just because they want to, and when they smile at you, it's like everything bad that's ever happened to you suddenly don't feel so permanent…" Iruka mumbled a blush on his face. Kakashi felt a familiar feeling ooze through his mind at the soft smile on Iruka's lips.

"So you did love him, then?" Kakashi asked, trying to hide the intense jealously burning through his veins, but unable to prevent his teeth from gritting as he said those words. Iruka stared at Kakashi in confusion.

"What?"

"You loved…love him," Kakashi said, feeling a tightness clench in his chest, pulling him downwards…

"Some people consider it odd when you refer to yourself in third person…," Iruka said quietly, glancing back down at the wood grain on the table.

Kakashi stared at the dark shiny hair on the back of the chuunin's head as the words sunk in… A sort of lightness slowly spread through his chest…

"A sort of lightness…" Kakashi whispered, a small smile spreading uncontrollably across his lips as he soared.


End file.
